How Game Devs Scam You!
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2022
- Discord: / discord
In this video we go through some of the absolute worst monetization strategies and dark patterns i found while trying to monetize my own game.
We also get to see the final solution and implementation i made for my indie game, Pixel Tribe.
PixelTribe is a game where you can build, upgrade and manage your own clan of vikings. Here you can craft and equip weapons and armor for your vikings, and send them on different raids against other bad-guys.
#devlog #gamedev #gaming
Wow, this is really in depth. I never realised just how many ways games try to get money.
Yeah, its kinda scary how abusive some of those ways are as well!
To incentivize getting decorations, will you be able to visit your friends islands? If so, that should be enough incentive. You could even have a small mini game when visiting other players islands, like there could be a couple hidden gems around, to reward players for checking out their friends village.
I quite like apps that doesnt force you to watch ads.. but when you can choose it. Its just that the greed of some apps make them not even fun to play. Theres so many things I didnt even knew it was in this catogory.. but hey, your game looks quite balanced of it. Well done :D
Thanks! And yes i totally agree, being forced to watch ads is one thing that quickly makes me uninstall the game!
I really like your monetization idea but I would suggest adding more ways to spend gems on convinces (like bigger inventory so that you don't have to empty it every day or something like this)
Hm you might be right, should probably continue adding small things as i keep developing the game! Thanks!
This is an amazing video. You deserve to succeed on your game just for trying to avoid all this kind of player manipulation. Congratz
This is one of the few games that I didn't have to crack to fully enjoy it, and I'm happy to invest time and, why not, even money to support you. Great job, keep it up!
Well as for me, I really hate even having the possibility to pay, so... Yeah. BUT having said that, as you said developpers have to pay the bills, so these choices are understandable. Also, I think I hate this possibility mainly because most of the time, as soon as it's present it means the game is already trying to force you to pay in some way, so my reaction comes from that... Whereas I think your solution is rather reasonnable, logic, and really fair for the player. ^^
So good job on finding this balance. ^^
Thanks! I absolutely agree, games usually push things way too far in terms of monetization! So really tricky to find something that is actually acceptable
Damn, this was very informative! Thank you very much :D
And I think the options you've chosen will be perfect for this game ^^
Glad you like it! Thanks :D
Wow, your game was a good discovery itself but i never expected to find the developer's YT channel with so many interesting insides 👀
Very instructive video, thanks for sharing
Glad it was helpful!
Add a way to watch an add to speed up things like building/cooking/working because that stuff takes forever
awesome video! i feel like your game has a nice balance of monetization and also gameplay
Thanks! Glad you like it!
this is an intersting topic.
perhaps you can dig deeper.
Definitely want to hear more ways to design a painless in app purchasing experience that wont hurt the player feelings.
I'd suggest adding a way to get an extra round when going on a dungeon, this could either give exp, more materials, or even just decorative stuff as a reward while still being challenging and affordable
I like your videos.
Pixel Tribe rules! I have a few suggestions to add to the game I'd love to chat with u if u could spare the time and thank you for such a fun and addictive game i look forward to future updates and titles from u 😊
I don't mind the fact that you can progress faster if you pay for gems. It does not give inherent advantage since you are just going to face players at your current level as long as the matchmaking works. At the end of the day, convenience is another way to speed up the progress of the player too.
You either are studying and you don't have a lot of money but you have time so you basically play a lot, or you have a job but not as much time so you use the money to skip some of the grind. Or you are an absolute rat like me and don't spend any money regardless.
For me, as you said, the key is to make it balanced. Try to figure out how much time an f2p player would need to get something and set an appropriate amount of gems to skip it. If you can also localize the price, the better, since every country has their own currency value.
Great video!
Best video ever
Edit:still the best video ever
Lol scope creep really is a b*tch isn't it 😆 Love the memes
I definitely agree with the skins route - It really does seem like a lot of work drawing up all of that pixel art, but having an alternate design for the wooden houses/ structures (maybe making a stone / iron version of them) and npcs would be pretty cool.
Yeah for sure! :D
A true masterclass on monetization strategies.
Incentivize decoration you could have a happiness stat to barbarians. This could be increased by just adding decorations around your island in the proficiency in all tasks by like 5% at level one and like 25 at like level 5
Earnings are going to plummet anyway eventually, as most games have a relatively short life cycle. So I believe the goal is often to milk as much as possible before the majority of the community's experience starts to plummet.
Thats probably true, kinda sad that it have become the norm:/
@@pixeltribegame3478 I'm not sure about that though. If you take archeroo, they still develop the game pretty extensively, they offer enough gems to allow you to free to play and unlock everything. Even if they do have a LOT of predatory practices, the core gameplay loop is fairly intact and the fact that they keep adding content and improving the game probably lets them earn enough money to justify it, or they would have dropped the game by now.
I would add an option to reduce time taken to complete tasks not forced but you get the option to
Just made a purchase in your game. I still dont know if AutoBattle is worth it since i havent seen any videos of it (yet) or better to wait for another Viking.
Those yumyum noodles are pretty good tbh ;p
I’d personally much rather spend $10 on a game like this then having in game purchases at all. However I understand that this isn’t how most people view it, especially when it comes to mobile games.
Yeah i agree, wish it was the norm, and im glad many steam games still use the premium model and not full on free-to-play with microtransactions as all mobile games kinda have to now.
I am fine buying a game on my computer and buying DLC but on mobile I just hate spending money on games because of how many mobile games are abusive.
Thanks for this. I guess now I know everything I can put in my future game if I corrupt in billionaire-level
Haha youre welcome! :P
I really like showing ur hate on this game at 1:33 😁
I #agree
Renaming our Vikings would be nice 👍
I was close to spending money but since there was no multiplayer I felt like it wasn’t worth it so I ended up deleting the game, I tried not to but once I found out your going on vacations I went to find better .
I wouldn't feel too bad about using a premium currency. Having a premium currency does allow you to include methods for players to earn it in game, as you can't really allow players a method of earning real currency in game.
As long as you don't make the amounts you can purchase manipulative relative to the amounts your spending.
Bro Really Made All The Game Developers o Change Their Game
hey can you add seasons like winter summer spring and autumn
Holy shit thank you for this
I agree 100%, unfortunately if you put your game up for a reasonable price you get a very small fraction of of what you would otherwise because people are not as apt to play it unless its free.
If you make the game for free and sell content expansions periodically for a small and reasonable price your will also only make a fraction of what you could and your ratings will take because people will be offended you charge for it in a free game.
Any tactic you use other that what is most certainly scummy will make the game quickly roll in the negatives for income. It is a necessary evil, the trick is to use the dark marketing techniques while giving value. Unless you give people the rope with the noose pretied and sell them the chair you will be the villain in their eyes, It's a fine line to walk.
amazing
This game is actually so good i started playing it like a week ago, but please make stuff take longer it doesn't make sense. Bread takes 5 minutes to make, and a scone takes 20 minutes?? Also, 1 plank takes too long to make.
This dev does the exact same thing. Manipulation
NOICE
My progress is so slow can you please somehow speed up the building process and smithing
I just have a hate for the words gems since they are used in a bad way in every game ever. So maybe calling them something different like crystals would make them feel different and not like they are the same thing from other games.
Hm yeah maybe i should change it to something more viking-y.
@@pixeltribegame3478 Allfather's Favours? Pillage? Horns of Mead?
As a player/user if game alway have to show ads and pay to win, it ruin the whole experience
I absolutely agree!
i feel that game will be great suces
you used another trick you didn't mention in your own list: The typical daily free item in the shop incentivizing the player to open the real money shop at least once per day to look at all the goodies they could have if they paid real money ;p
hi bro how do you market your game bro
are u the creator of forager cause this game is really similar to it
I don't think you should be able to buy extra vikings
Understandable, if enough people feel this way i guess we have to do something about it! Thanks for letting me know your thoughts!
@@pixeltribegame3478 I guess it will depend on the balance, and how long do you need to unlock them. The balancing makes or break those kind of things even if people "feel" one way or an other.
Game hay😊
EA Killed battlefield. That's why I'm here
This content is so interesting it's like having a classmate going to class for a month and making you a super useful resume of everything he learned #cheatcode
I've completely lost interest with the mention of the subscription though, and everything mentioned after that. Good luck with your game, it's nice, and you seem cool, but I'm out.
I get it, its a huge turn-off for many:/ Do you have any ideas on options you would find more acceptable? Thanks anyways for your feedback!
I am halfway down the video and so far I feel like that Genshin which I play since beginning is not so bad after all :D I was not happy with primogems and wishes and stuff but the game is not competitive, you can get anything if you save up in game and the game is fun :D the practices you show suck :D really suck :D
Yeah! Its really nice when the game actually lets you earn stuff if you save up for it! So glad they are doing that too!
I'm first
You have definitely gone overboard with trashy systems in your game.
First
No your not😂